Ending the right to challenge planning decisions only benefits developers

Develops, not local communities, will benefit from removing the right to
appeal planning decisions

7:00AM GMT 21 Nov 2012

SIR – You report the Prime Minister’s intention to put economic growth before all other considerations, as defeating Hitler supplanted all other considerations in the Second World War (“End of the right to challenge planning rulings”, November 19). Unfortunately, David Cameron misunderstands both history and current constraints on development.

Fiddling with the rules on judicial review is unlikely to promote growth. The majority of judicial review applications concern immigration decisions and, of those relevant to planning, many come from developers. Planning rules are stacked in favour of developers. Skewing them further is likely to result in more poor-quality development, undermining prosperity and causing more public resentment.

As for the Second World War, not everything was sacrificed for victory, because Britain’s leaders understood the need to safeguard, as far as possible, the things we were fighting for, including democracy and natural beauty. That is why, for instance, the Campaign to Protect Rural England advised on the siting of aerodromes and arms factories.

Bashing the planning system and undermining local democracy will not bring about growth, but will undermine public support for necessary development.

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SIR – As Philip Johnston pointed out in his excellent article (Comment, November 20), “builders are sitting on more than 200,000 permissions”. Mr Cameron should say that any outstanding permissions not started by January 1 2013 will be declared null and void, and that any project started but not completed by December 31 2014 will be in default, and require the builder to return the site to its original state. This would, I’m sure, focus a few minds.

John Palmer Hereford

SIR – Would the Prime Minister not be better employed this week clamping down on the appeals process for undesirables in this country, rather than that available to those wishing to protect their back yard from infrastructure projects?

John Turnbull Southampton

SIR – Mr Cameron has said that the overriding priority for the nation is to make more money. I beg to differ. That is a horrendous position.

Society is not about money, it is about the quality of the care for the disadvantaged, of the freedom of speech and action, of religion, of art and culture. It is perhaps demonstrative of his narrow view that, on the same day that he announces his overriding priority, he informs us that he will ride roughshod over our planning laws to allow developers to despoil our countryside.

David R Lewis Purley, Surrey

Farmers saving birds

SIR – The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has announced that Britain has lost an estimated 44 million nesting birds since 1966 (report, November 19).

There is a huge amount we can do for wildlife, but conservationists, farmers and the Government need to act together now.

We know what to do. Farming policies should be broadened and more targeted to resolve wildlife declines. Already the Government has taken on board our ideas about winter feeding and from January 31 farmers will be paid to feed their birds during this hungry gap. We could have 30 per cent more breeding birds in spring, but we need more.

Vulnerable breeding birds need protection from predators. We must also make sure that the best possible advice is given to farmers and land managers.

SIR – It is the proliferation of magpies, and to a lesser extent crows, that has been the major cause in the decline of nesting birds.

In my youth, bird-egg collection by small boys greatly assisted in keeping magpies in check, as their eggs were the lowest common denominator in the exchange rate for egg “swaps”. Now I understand magpies are a protected species.

W T J Davies Nottage, Glamorgan

Sign language

SIR – Surely the worst example of superfluity in sign language (Letters, November 20) is the proliferation of large electronic motorway signs bearing no message except for the notice declaring: “This sign is out of use.”

Charles Cheesman Orpington, Kent

The Purple One

SIR – While watching England playing at Twickenham in their purple and gold strip (Letters, November 19), it occurred to me that maybe the team was being sponsored by Quality Street.

James Logan Portstewart, Co Londonderry

SIR – England abandoned their traditional white to play in purple, but the French referee chose to refer to them throughout as “pink”. Manly game, English rugby.

Norman Hudson Upper Wardington, Oxfordshire

Israeli air strikes

SIR – Michael Edwards attempts to draw a parallel between President Assad’s use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas in Syria, and Israel’s actions in Gaza (Letters, November 19). However, he overlooks an important distinction.

The Israeli operation has resulted in probably the lowest civilian fatalities-to-strike ratio in the history of warfare conducted from the air. There have been around 1,200 strikes resulting in about 100 fatalities, including militants – or approximately one fatality for every 12 bombing sorties.

This is astonishing considering that the operation has been conducted in the heavily populated environment where Hamas militants deliberately site their rocket and missile arsenals.

Christopher Dreyfus Hampnett, Gloucestershire

High-speed hubs

SIR – Patrick McLoughlin, the Transport Secretary, makes a vital point when he highlights how the French high-speed rail network allows for interconnection with existing domestic rail services, many miles outside Paris (Interview, November 17). Regrettably, his proposed route for High Speed Two does not replicate the “hub” concept, which we designed for HS1.

At the forefront of our plans was regional regeneration in Kent and east London, and linking the new railway to domestic rail services, benefiting regional commuters as well as those from the Continent. This resulted in new, well-connected stations such as Ashford, Ebbsfleet and Stratford.

The proposed HS2 route does not allow for domestic hub stations. The best route is to go via Heathrow, where a direct link with the Great Western Main Line and Crossrail can be made, also allowing short haul flights to be replaced by high-speed rail.

SIR – As the head of the Church of England is a woman, what is the problem with women bishops (Letters, November 20)?

Anne Sutherland Fraser Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Emptying the nest

SIR – Cristina Odone (“When should you let go?”, Features, November 19) takes me back to when our son came home, having completed three years of higher education.

At the time the jobs market was poor. Notwithstanding he had received two job offers, but declined them. I explained to him that he was welcome to stay living with us but from October, about six weeks ahead, he would be required to pay £25 a week towards the housekeeping. He accepted the next job he was offered and has been in useful employment ever since.

Patrick Nicholls Aldeburgh, Suffolk

Medicine in motion

SIR – When one of my horses sustains a leg injury, before any treatment is suggested my vet asks to see the animal in motion.

I have a knee injury. I have seen two doctors, three physiotherapists and a knee specialist. Other than entering and leaving their consulting rooms, not one of them has asked to see me in motion. Three months later I am in the same condition.

Maybe I should consult my vet.

Tim Stafford Thornton Morpeth, Northumberland

The fashion for carrying coffee in the street

SIR – Your readers are worried about businessmen not wearing ties (Letters, November 19). I am worried that they have replaced ties with coffee cups. Why do executives find it necessary to carry their coffee through the streets? Don’t they have a coffee machine in their offices, or even someone among their staff who can pop one on to their desk?

Q David McGill Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire

SIR – If Tom Irons (Letters, November 19) had inquired of the bank staff last Friday, he would have discovered that the dressing down, in the form of football shirts, was in aid of Children in Need. Each year banks raise money in this way. Customers are free to contribute, and many do.

Mary Firth London NW11

SIR – Perhaps we should not blame the presenters on television for looking scruffy. Not long ago, Michael Portillo, the former Conservative MP, appeared on a late-evening political programme without a tie, and his response to a subsequent rebuke was that he had been required by the BBC producer not to wear one.

Cyril Mann Rodmell, East Sussex

SIR – As national servicemen in the Fifties, one of the first things we were told in the Royal Artillery was never to use a Windsor knot when tying our ties.

The first thing we were told on transfer to the Royal Military Police was always to use a Windsor knot. Same army, different rules.